Can't get my watering pH straight after adding CalMag.

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Saul.Goodman

Saul.Goodman

I just wet my plants...
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Adding Calmag will increase ALKALINITY making the water "harder" and pH more stable, so as I add acid to bring pH down if should stay down at some point, but it wont. I would like to understand why it wont stay down. That's all...
What are the variables? PH shouldn't change that fast unless there are variables included. Explain your entire water process word for word.
 
luiz9733

luiz9733

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What are the variables? PH shouldn't change that fast unless there are variables included. Explain your entire water process word for word.
"after dissolving 1g of Calmag in a liter of tap water. My tap gives me a 7.2 pH and 30 ppm, after adding Calmag if bumps to 8.5pH and 124 ppm. Then I start adding drops of pH down solution (chloridric acid) until the pH reaches 6.5... everything looks fine for a few minutes until the pH begins to go up for no apparent reason. Usually it goes all the way up to 8 again, then I add more pH down bringing to 6.5 and it goes up again, etc... can't stabilize at 6.5!"
 
Saul.Goodman

Saul.Goodman

I just wet my plants...
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But, Like I said...My GH CalMag changes my PH by +1.0. I stabilize that with PH Down. I'm a soil grower though
 
luiz9733

luiz9733

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Let me try the phosphoric acid tomorrow and see how things go... we are trying to figure something here while I'm probably not working with the right tools on hand. I'll get back to you and if this does not work we try to figure out. Thank you for your help so far.
 
Saul.Goodman

Saul.Goodman

I just wet my plants...
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Sounds like your water is SUPER alkaline. That's the first thing you need to correct. Mine is too, well water.

Softened well water too. For those who say soft water sucks...check out my Bruce Banner harvest...😎
 
Aqua Man

Aqua Man

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So why pH goes from 7.0 to 8.6 after mixing calmag?
Google the sources in your cal mag.

Now im not gonna waste time here. But I'm telling you the alkaline sources are not near what's needed to provide an adequate buffer.

Read my post closely. Ph changes based on ratios of alkaline and acidic sources.

Now think like this. A=ALKALINITY AND B = ACID.

YOUR WATER IS THIS.

NOTHING

NOW ADD YOUR CAL MAG YOU HAVE

A

Ph raises and you add you acid you have.

A/B

Ph now ideal but NO STABILITY BECAUSE A SMALL AMOUT OF EITHET HAS A 100% change on the influence.

NOW YOU ADD ALKALINITY BEFORE AND LOOK WHAT HAPPENS.

AAAAAAAA

With your cal mag added then add acid.

AAAAAAAA / BBBBBBBBB

NOW YOU HABE STABILITY. Because adding small amount of either hardly changes the ratios.


You understand now?
 
KrazyDave

KrazyDave

10
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I understand what Aquaman is saying... Kinda...

If you have

AAAAAAA/BBBBBB

After adding calmag and enough acid, won't there be a point where there's enough or will this push ppm through the roof with CalMag so something else is needed?
 
Aqua Man

Aqua Man

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I understand what Aquaman is saying... Kinda...

If you have

AAAAAAA/BBBBBB

After adding calmag and enough acid, won't there be a point where there's enough or will this push ppm through the roof with CalMag so something else is needed?
Correct. Ppm is not alkalinity and while the cal mag is adding ppm and raising PH it provides almost no alkalinity.

And it's only raising PH because there is nothing to counter the tiny bit of alkalinity it has.
 
Habosabin

Habosabin

1,198
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Ok get im just gonna blunt and ot bother looking those up.

Buy a bottle of calmag and get phosphoric acid PH down.


If using RO you must add an alkalinity buffer. I promise you your cal mad doesn't not and that's your issue.... you have NO alkalinity and that makes for a very very very unstable PH and high fluctuations.

You first clue is it tKes very little acid to lower the PH.
Hi Aqua. What can I use that is cost effective for a buffer. I got some house and garden osmosis ph stabilizer which seems to be geared for that. Is there other stuff that will do the same? Im doing Hydro this round.
 
Aqua Man

Aqua Man

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Hi Aqua. What can I use that is cost effective for a buffer. I got some house and garden osmosis ph stabilizer which seems to be geared for that. Is there other stuff that will do the same? Im doing Hydro this round.
Potassium silicate or bicarbonate are both cheap and readily available everywhere.
 
SuperCPAg

SuperCPAg

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Before adding cal/mag check the bicarbonate levels of your water. It could be a high amount of bicarbonate in your water which will buffer your pH.
 
Aqua Man

Aqua Man

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Before adding cal/mag check the bicarbonate levels of your water. It could be a high amount of bicarbonate in your water which will buffer your pH.
He has 30ppm and even if that consisted of pure bicarbonate, silicate, hydroxide or carbonates its not enough.
 
SuperCPAg

SuperCPAg

9
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If the only thing being added is 1 gram of cal/mag and the pH moves 1.5 points, a more than 10 fold increase since it is a logarithmic scale, I am thinking it is something it the water. There is only the info of 30ppm, it’s only enough info to take a guess and not absolutely solve the issue
 
m8ty

m8ty

649
143
can you just use R.O. Water? And 30 ppm for tap water don't sound right you sure is not 300? Some pH Meters ask you to add a zero to the number displayed.
 
luiz9733

luiz9733

25
3
Sorry for the delay on my feedback, I was running some tests before posting again. So I ordered a phosphoric acid solution (food grade) and tried to adjust my watering pH after adding Calmag.

So my tap water is only 63ppm and a pH of 7.2
IMG 8900
IMG 8901



Adding Calmag bumps it to 168ppm and a pH of 8.4
IMG 8902
IMG 8903
IMG 8904





I diluted one drop of phosphoric acid into some water and added to the calmat solution until pH reaches the desired 6.4, it also raised the ppm to 187.
IMG 8906
IMG 8907




12 hours later I checked the pH again and found it sitting at 6.5, that's good enough for my needs and way better than the results I was getting using the fish tank solution which was unable to keep a stable pH for more than a few minutes. I'll let it sit for another 12h and test again but to me it's case closed, thank you all for your help!
IMG 8909
 
lbezy

lbezy

61
18
Hi guys, as a new grower my struggle is with my watering pH after dissolving 1g of Calmag in a liter of tap water. My tap gives me a 7.2 pH and 30 ppm, after adding Calmag if bumps to 8.5pH and 124 ppm. Then I start adding drops of pH down solution (chloridric acid) until the pH reaches 6.5... everything looks fine for a few minutes until the pH begins to go up for no apparent reason. Usually it goes all the way up to 8 again, then I add more pH down bringing to 6.5 and it goes up again, etc... can't stabilize at 6.5! By adding that much acid I end up with a very high ppm (I guess the pH down solution adds particles to the water) and still not able to stabilize the watering pH on 6.5, what am I doing wrong here?

Thank you.
So , I don't know what else your mixing
I've used all brands of cal mag at one time or another my I use the Lucas formula because, I grow in Cocoa, I simply mix 50 gallons of water in which 5 ml per gallon is Cal mag I use Ro water like most people hydroponically unless you have really clean well water, so if you mixing just straight nutrients such as micro , Cal mag and Bloom the I'd mix my Lucas formula add my pH UP slowly I Very rarely ever use pH down , unless I'm using " silica blast" in veg .,never know I got a really nice meter and II check with the GH test kit the one l put the three drops in. Lime green is 6.0 it never lies! Lol make sure PH meter is calibrated . also calmag has nitrogen in it it should LOWER YOUR PH not raise it
 

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